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Tag: Olympics

  • Grace Fu: ‘No Discrimination In Helping Para-Athletes Excel’

    Grace Fu: ‘No Discrimination In Helping Para-Athletes Excel’

    Instead of focusing on post-podium rewards for national athletes, the Government’s focus remains on helping all athletes get to the podium, said Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu.

    To this end, there will be no discrimination on the support extended to para-athletes, Ms Fu stressed.

    Ms Fu was responding to questions on whether the Government will consider offering equal rewards to Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists.

    Para-swimmer Yip Pin Xiu will receive $400,000 for the two gold medals she won at the recent Rio Paralympics, while swimmer Joseph Schooling received $1 million for winning a gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

    The rewards medal-winning athletes receive are decided by the Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC), Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and their sponsors.

    “This is in line with the general convention that monetary rewards for competitions in sport are largely funded by private means through sponsorships, donations and product endorsements,” said Ms Fu.

    “I encourage the SNOC and SNPC to review the schemes with their sponsors, and for more corporations to step forward to support SNOC and SNPC on the awards.”

    What can make a difference to the national athletes is the combined assistance they receive from family, the community, corporations, the public and the Government, Ms Fu said.

    She said: “Instead of a one-off cash prize, athletes would also welcome career opportunities that can accommodate their sporting commitments and provide greater security and dignity when they retire from their sporting career.

    “To enable this, SportSG has the spexBusiness Network.”

    There is also no discrimination. For instance, the monthly payments under the spexScholarship scheme for all athletes are the same.

    And sports medicine and sports science specialists, psychologists and trainers under SportSG offer the same support to both able-bodied and para-athletes.

     

    Source: The New Paper

  • Quah Zheng Wen Delighted To Be Granted Extension Of NS Deferment

    Quah Zheng Wen Delighted To Be Granted Extension Of NS Deferment

    National swimmer Quah Zheng Wen’s dream of winning a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games has been handed a boost after the 19-year-old was granted an extension of his National Service (NS) deferment by the Ministry of Defence (Mindef).

    Mindef announced on Thursday (Sept 22) that the Armed Forces Council had approved Quah’s application for extended deferment this month, noting that “deferment may be granted to exceptional cases of individual sportsmen who are assessed to be potential medal winners at international competitions like the Olympic Games.”

    Quah, who was delighted to hear the good news on Thursday, said: “I would like to thank Mindef, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), Sport Singapore (SportSG), the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) for their continuous support.

    “I’m deeply appreciative of the opportunity to be able to train full-time and dedicate myself to doing my best and making our nation proud. With the extended deferment, it gives me the peace of mind to continue to train hard and work towards my goal of Tokyo 2020.

    “Since the Rio 2016 Olympics, I’ve been very touched by the support received and would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their support.”

    Quah declined to reveal the plans for his next four-year Olympic campaign. However, he is believed to be considering two options. The first would be to remain in Singapore and continue training with the National Training Centre (NTC) squad under current national assistant coach Gary Tan and high-performance manager Sonya Porter.

    The alternative would be to follow in the footsteps of national team-mate and newly minted Olympic champion Joseph Schooling, who is a University of Texas student, and head abroad to train and study in an overseas university.

    Quah is understood to be weighing up the possibility of joining former Singapore swimming head coach Sergio Lopez at the Auburn University in the United States, with the two having developed a strong bond over the course of the Spaniard’s two-year stint in the Republic.

    When asked, coach Tan said the SSA would meet Quah over the next few days to discuss the best course of action for the young swimmer.

    “We will be sitting down with Zheng Wen properly following this announcement to discuss our plans,” Tan told TODAY.

    “We need to discuss with various parties to make sure that we have the best system and support in place for Zheng Wen, who has proved with his performances that he has so much potential to go even further.”

    Quah’s deferment comes just a month after Schooling was granted fresh deferment till the 2020 Games. Quah was initially granted long-term deferment in July 2015 to train for the 2016 Rio Games, where he qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s 100m and 200m butterfly with new personal best (PB) times of 52.08s and 1min 56.01s respectively. He finished 15th and 10th overall, respectively.

    Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen said in his Facebook post on Thursday: “For the first time ever, we now have two Olympics medal prospects ­— Zheng Wen and Joseph Schooling — who are exceptional sportsmen and meet all the existing criteria for deferment. This speaks well of our sporting talent in our younger generation. I hope their achievements will encourage many more sportsmen and women to excel.

    “I spoke to Zheng Wen and his father. I thanked them for their commitment to excellence, the many hours of training Zheng Wen has put in and many more needed for the next four years, for him to win in Tokyo 2020. I wished Zheng Wen the very best in his training and his ambition to win glory for Singapore.”

    SSA secretary-general Oon Jin Teik said in a statement: “We are deeply grateful for the continuous support from Mindef, MCCY, SportSG, SNOC and our various partners, who have continued to support us in the journey to becoming a world-class aquatics nation.

    “We will be working closely with … the relevant parties to develop the future plans to help Zheng Wen achieve his goals for Tokyo 2020.”

     

    Source: TODAY Online

  • Quah Zheng Wen Yet To Decide On NS Deferment

    Quah Zheng Wen Yet To Decide On NS Deferment

    With two days to go until the end of his National Service (NS) deferment, Quah Zheng Wen has still not given any indication of his next move.

    Last July, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced that the 19-year-old would be granted deferment from full-time NS until Aug 31, to allow him to train and compete at the 2016 Olympic Games.

    The 19-year-old — who was the most bemedalled athlete at the 2015 SEA Games with 12 medals — proved his mettle in the Olympic Aquatic Stadium in Rio, qualifying for two semi-finals in the men’s 100m and 200m butterfly in new personal best times, to finish ranked 15th and 10th overall.

    He also narrowly missed out on a place in the 200m fly final by 0.08s.

    Outgoing national swimming head coach Sergio Lopez had singled out the talented young swimmer as a medal potential for the Republic in the 2020 Tokyo Games, particularly after his performance in his second Olympic outing in Rio.

    Joseph Schooling, who won Singapore’s first ever Olympic gold medal with his victory in the 100m butterfly agreed.

    “He’s improving. Two semi-finals, that’s phenomenal. He has a lot more potential,” said Schooling two weeks ago, during his short stay in Singapore after his Olympic win. “I think he can definitely win a medal or even win (a race) in 2020, if he keeps on this path.”

    Former Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student Quah, who had told TODAY in June that he planned to serve his NS after the Olympics, is currently on holiday in the United States, and has not informed the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) of his decision.

    “NS deferment is a personal matter, a decision that Zheng Wen and his parents will make when they are ready,” said Oon Jin Teik, SSA’s secretary general.

    “If they wish to, SSA will give our full support and work with Mindef, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Sport Singapore.

    “In our past dealings on various athletes’ matters, Mindef have always been very supportive, contrary to perceptions. We are very appreciative.”

     

    Source: TODAY Online

  • Remember Howe Liang, Please

    Remember Howe Liang, Please

    There were three pairs of trackshoes in the common corridor outside his abode at his brother-in-law’s HDB flat at Tampines Avenue 5.

    One pair was his, worn out through his regular walks in the nearby park.

    There was also a bicycle, also his, but one that has been unused for almost a year.

    It reminded me about his mode of travel from his former residence at Kampong Arang to the National Stadium when he was working in the gym at the Singapore Sports Council in Kallang in the Nineties.

    Once the nation’s greatest athlete, Tan Howe Liang is now a forgotten man.

    In the wake of swimmer Joseph Schooling’s historic gold-medal feat in the 100 metres butterfly event in Rio, I decided to check on our first Olympic medallist last week.

    Tan achieved the weightlifting honour at the Rome Olympics in 1960 in dramatic fashion – after an eight-hour ordeal at the Palazetto Dello Sports Hall in the Italian capital.

    In the lightweight category (60-67.5 kg) competition, Russia’s Viktor Bushuev had already won the gold by breaking the world record. It was down to Tan and Iraq’s Abdul Wahid Aziz for the silver medal.

    After just one clean and jerk lift left, Tan felt pain in his legs and the doctors advised him to return to the Athletes’ Village for treatment.

    This would mean a withdrawal from the competition, but battle-hardened Tan was not prepared for that.

    He bore the suffering, continued to compete and eventually claimed the silver medal, ahead of 33 rivals.

    Schooling won gold in Rio in also dramatic circumstances, beating three world-class swimmers – including his idol Michael Phelps – to consign the trio to joint-silver medals with an outright triumph in Olympic record time.

    Like Tan’s historic first, Schooling’s fascinating story will be told, and retold, in print, on social media and over television.

    ST FILE PHOTO

    But the duo’s current lives are a stark contrast, sadly.

    While Schooling, 21, is the rave of the moment and is looked upon in awe by Singaporeans and the world, Tan, 83, has been consigned to history.

    To the recesses of our memories.

    And remembered and recognised only by his close buddies who occasionally take him out for a hawker centre meal or a chit chat over coffee.

    Tan lives off his savings – slightly bloated by the sale of his three-room Kampong Arang flat two years ago – a lifelong Public Assistance allowance and monthly pocket money from his teacher-daughter.

    ODD-JOBS

    He also helps himself financially by doing odd-jobs, but even they have become rare these days because of a right knee operation that did not turn out too well.

    A walking stick comes in handy when pain arises from joint-aches, some resulting from his overindulgence with weights during his competitive days of yesteryear.

    However, it was nice to see Tan (who once said: “I hope someone wins gold so that reporters will stop interviewing me every Olympic year”) sharing in Schooling’s success.

    He was all praise for the Singapore son who rocked the swimming world, saying: “He worked hard, did himself and the country proud. I like him, I admire him, and his achievement was better than mine.”

    The similarity lies in that both feats were historic firsts, recognised by big celebrations and victory parades.

    The means to the two ends were wrapped in a work ethic soaked in true dedication, never-say-die determination and an innate desire to excel.

    But the sad truth is that on a day (last Thursday) when poster-boy Schooling was placed on a nation’s pedestal and paraded through some streets of Singapore, bow-legged Tan was stretched out on a sofa in a lonely world.

    Surely thinking, what it should have been.

     

    Source: The New Paper

  • I Had ‘Goosebumps’ In Parliament: Joseph Schooling

    I Had ‘Goosebumps’ In Parliament: Joseph Schooling

    After a week competing at the Rio Olympics, Joseph Schooling really just wants to sleep.

    The 21-year-old touched down at 530am on Monday (15 August) after an almost 25 hour flight home from Rio de Janeiro, then spent about two hours obliging hundreds of autograph and selfie hunters at Changi Airport. After a brief stop at home, it was time to head to Parliament.

    “It’s been kind of non-stop really, today,” admitted Schooling. “I kind of just wanted to be by myself (to) digest my thoughts. I also want to catch some Zs tonight.”

    He added, “Emotionally and physically, it’s pretty draining but I’m just going along for the ride. I’m enjoying every moment.”

    Schooling was addressing reporters at Parliament after being feted in the House together with his parents Colin and May.

    Schooling became Singapore’s most high profile athlete overnight when he beat Michael Phelps – one of the greatest Olympians – to gold on Saturday (13 August) in the 100m butterfly.

    It was the trio’s first time in Parliament, and they were treated to a standing ovation, a “pretty cool” experience which gave Schooling “goosebumps”.

    The visibly tired Olympic record holder remained composed and savvy, promising to address questions about his renewed National Service deferment at a press conference on Tuesday (16 August). Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen announced on Monday that Schooling has been deferred from National Service again, till after the 2020 Olympics.

    He also revealed that although he was initially slated to stay only four days in Singapore, he was seeking permission from his school, the University of Texas at Austin, to attend the National Day Rally on Sunday (21 August).

    Asked if all the attention has been overwhelming, he credited his parents and other advisors for not letting things get out of hand. “I’ve got a good support staff behind me. If I had to do all this by myself, then I would be overwhelmed, for sure.”

    Source: Yahoo News